Crossing the Invisable Lines
by in-it-for-these-beautiful-lies
Summary: Draco and Harry have to spend their "8th year" rooming together, in a mixed-house dorm of students retaking their 7th year. And the more time they are forced to spend in each other's presence, the more they realize exactly how broken they are. Sometimes it feels impossible to put all the pieces together again. Slash pairings, non-epilouge compliant, swearing, etc.


Crossing the Invisable Lines

A/n : Hello! As promised here is a new Drarry story. This will be a multi chapter fic. Hopeful some of you were waiting for another story. :D For now, since it is winter (which means cold and snow where I am) I will only be updating this story once a month for now. I hope that you all understand. I like the winter, I just hate driving in it. lol.

Also, for those of you who are intrested, there will be a new Snarry fic posted at the end of the month entitled Try.

This story will be somewhat of a slowburner, but those who have read my other stories probably realize that this is just how I write fics. I hate to have everything all rushed because then it turns out badly.

And so as always, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you like it.

Happy Reading :D

Chapter One : Change

"No, no, no. There is no way that I am sharing a room with a Slytherin! No bloody way!" Ron burst out into the silence. Hermione glanced at him with worry before turning her eyes to her friend, who was staring blankly at the scroll of parchment that had just been delivered by one of three owls from Hogworts that had flown in with post.

"You don't have a choice, Ronald. It's mandatory for all of those repeating the seventh year."

"Well... I refuse!"

"Then have a nice year in the common room, which is where you will be living since you refuse to relenquish a stubborn prejudice, that will be full of studying, crying, whining girls, and Slytherins."

Ron opened his mouth, but no words issued forth. Instead his face slowly turned bright brick red, indicating his speechless rage. Harry sighed and stared out the window.

It hadn't been very long ago, it seemed to him, when they had arrived at Grimmauld Place. It wasn't really, he supposed. But the summer had seemed like normal days sometimes, and years during others.

It had been a unspoken decision when they had left Hogworts a few days later that the three of them return to Grimmauld Place. When they had left the school boundries to disapparate, Hermione had reached out and taken his hand, her other interlaced with Ron's fingers. Harry had closed his eyes and let her take over, he was so tired.

He stared up at the door for a few minutes, green eyes locking on the door to the house that his deceased god-father had left him. Then without a word to the other two, he walked up the steps and into the house.

Kreature had supper on the table already, hot and steaming plates of shepards pie. There was a surprise though when Winky came through the doors, floating the rest of the meal behind her. She stared at them for a moment and then settled the dishes on the table.

"Hello, Harry Potter Sir. Winky... Winky is not Dobby, Harry Potter, but Dobby would have liked Winky to look after yous, since Dobby is not being here anymores. And Winky will help Kreacher look after you, sir, unless you says otherwise, sir."

The Ron and Hermione blinked at her, taking a moment to allow her squeaky words to settle in their ears, but Harry smiled softly at her. He took in the sight of her bright face and clean clothes, nothing like the miserable elf she used to be.

Despite all of the loss only days prior, when the three of them sat down for their meal, Harry had felt a warmth in him that had not been present for some time.

Harry came back to the present just in time to hear Ron curse loudly and stomp out of the room. He met Hermione's brown eyes and gave a half smile as she shrugged.

"He'll have to get over it sometime. Things are changing in the Wizarding World. The sooner he gets used to it, the better."

Harry scanned over his own Hogworts letter once more.

"I wonder why they only put down the house that we're to room with and not the name of the person?"

"Well that's easy," Hermione said, settling herself back down onto the couch opposite of Harry's chair. "McGonagall is going to have enough complaints from some of those rooming with Slytherins, it would be even worse if they knew in advance who they were suppose to room with. By the way, I didn't get to say before Ron blew up, but mine says Slytherin too. Does yours?"

Harry nodded.

"I suppose it'll different, not sharing a room with the people we have for years, but it will be nice just to have one other instead of a handful. Much better for studying, don't you think?"

She paused for his response, which was nothing more than a halfhearted shrug.

"We can all still study together too though." She smiled slightly as Harry made a face. "I wonder how many of the Slytherins are even coming back? I doubt they'd offer for those like Goyle back in, seeing as he tried to kill us, but some of the others that didn't fight..."

Harry looked away from her thoughtful eyes as she trailed off. He knew exactly what she meant. Others like Parkinson, Zabini, Nott, and Greengrass hadn't taken part in the Battle. Malfoy had, but mostly because he had been forced into it, seemingly by Goyle and Crabbe and most likely a unheathy dose of fear for his parents and from Voldermort. And Harry remembered the hesitation in the Room of Requirement and at Malfoy Manor. The way that he had started to lower his wand in the Tower. The time that Malfoy had endured in Voldermorts presence that had turned him into a silent figure that turned away from the spotlight.

The image of the crying, broken down boy in the bathroom flashed through his head.

His family had been torn apart by it. He father driven near to the point of insanity, and his mother cornered enough so that she was willing to lie to his master, to a heartless man that never showed mercy, to have a chance to save her son. He thought back to how agressive Malfoy became towards him after Fourth Year, when Voldermort had returned. Hot, hate filled and harsh words to him and his friends. But thinking on it now, Harry wondered if that was just Malfoys way of protecting himself, of trying not to fall apart as everything around him did. And In the end, Voldermort had taken the Manor and the school. Draco Malfoy had not had a safe place to excape to for over a year, maybe even longer. Harry remembered the glimpses that he had gotten of Malfoy 7th year through visions; stressed, jumpy and frightened. Even if he came back, would he be able to find solice in Hogworts after everything that he had witnessed?

"I don't know," he replied. He spoke to derail his thoughts, not wanting to think about Malfoy on a deeper level. He didn't want to feel sympathy for someone who had made his life hellish for so many years, even if the only reason was for something that remained the same, for some way to cling to his sanity.

_But he saved your life_, a tiny voice whispered in the back of his mind. He tried to ignored it for the moment, but it nagged at him, forcing the truth to trickle in over and over. _He saved your life. His mum saved your life. He could have turned you over, could have killed you, but he didn't. He saved your life and you saved his._

He shook his head, ignoring also the look that his friend gave him. There was a faint thudding noise from the floor above them, but they didn't move to see what it came from. When Ron had a fit two weeks before hand, a book had nearly smashed Harry in the face when he opened the door to find out what had happened.

Harry had concidered picking up the book and chucking it back at Ron, but the fit was the first time since Fred's funeral that Ron had really shown any kind of emotion, so he let it slide.

"Guess we'll just have to wait and see. "

Hermione nodded in agreement and then decided that even though school was over a week away yet, she needed to pack her trunk, making sure that she had all of what she needed for her many classes. SHe began muttering about books as she strode from the room.

Harry remained where he was, staring into the fireplace at the hot coals and trying desperatly not to think of how different things would have turned out if not for a frightened ferretly blond. He closed his eyes, but Malfoys image refused to vanish, even when he drifted into a light sleep.

His dreams contained the blazing crackle of fire and the sight of the dead lining in the halls of Hogworts. And above all, screams.

The trip to Diagon Ally was very uneventful.

Many people stopped and stared at Harry and his friends, but that was nothing new. He had been in the spotlight for years and was finally getting a bit better at competely ignoring the stares and whispers. The walked around lesurily, enjoying the fimilar air of the shops and fellow students. In only four more days, they would be returning to Hogworts for their final year.

Books were bought and greeting were exchanged. The ran into Neville and Luna, both at different times and agreed to meet the morning upon leaving for the Express, so they could all arrive at the station at the same time and wouldn't have to search for each other on the trains. Ginny had already sent word that she would meet them on the platform the day before.

Harry's chest clenched painfully at the thought of Ginny. He wasn't quite sure what she expected of him, or even what he felt for her anymore. He had stared at the map while they were searching for Horacruxes, wishing that she and the others were all right. She had fought in the battle, but he hadn't worried much for her as the fighting progressed. He had been too caught up in the final moments of how to destroy Voldermort.

After, there had been mourning for those that were lost. Fred, Tonks, Remus, Collin, and many more. Then the funerals. And then, silence. The loss of life weightly heavily on Harry, not for the first time.

Tomorrow would be the first time that he would see Ginny since he had stood by her and Ron at Fred's funeral. There would be nothing to hold him back from her, every obsticale obliterated, but he couldn't help but wonder if there was a new one now : himself. He hadn't longed for Ginny's presance or her company during the silent weeks. He had tolerated Ron's greving and that had been enough. But he just wasn't sure anymore, if he wanted Ginny, or if she even wanted him. She had made no move to contact him either.

Some part of him wondered if she was allowing him his space, or if she blammed him for Fred's death and was avoiding him. Tomorrow, the truth of the matter would come out, and Harry's worry was doing nothing but giving him a stomach ache.

It had been nice to see Neville and Luna, their presenace brightening him up a bit. He jerked as there were suddenly fingers under his nose, snappiing to get his attention.

"Did you hear me?" Hermione asked, trying to hide her smile.

"Uh, no."

"I said I need to stop in and get an owl. Crookshanks is still with Mum and Dad in Austrailia. He didn't want to leave when I came back, so I thought that I would get an owl, so I would write them more. Did you... Would you like to come in with me?"

He knew by the way she lowered her eyes that she was asking something else. He hesitated. Was he ready to get another owl? Hedwig had been with him for some many years, he couldn't bear the thought of replacing her. But then he reminded himself, he wasn't replacing her, because he could never replace her.

He nodded and stepped forward with her, watching her face light up at his desicion.

No, he never would want to replace Hedwig, but he could move on a bit from the loss, enough to get a new owl anyway.

He glanced around as they entered the shop. He had been in here every year since first to buy treats and such for Hedwig, but he had never been to the wall in the back, that housed the cages filled with owls waiting to be bought. Several started up a ruckus when they saw they had visiters to impress. They flapped their wings and gave out calls of greetings to him and Hermione.

He flitted his eyes over them, not at all intrested in the showy birds, but searched the cages for a queiter one. He spotted several, but none seemed to catch his intrest. Hermione had stepped closer to read a label on one of the cages. And the Harry caught the dark brown eyes of one of the most beautiful owls he had ever laid eyes on, barring Hedwig of course.

A light, dusty, rich brown covered it's wings, back and head. Thin black half circles enclosed it's face. Tuffs of feather stuck out of the top of it's head, making the owl appear as if it had small ears of some sort. Creamy white feathers, large dark eyes, and a light grey beak made the rest of the inteligent face. White feathers lined with a stripe of black down the middle competed the rest of the front body of the creature.

The owl reguarded him with cool dark eyes. For a moment neither blinked and the the owl hooted softly at him and fluttered over to the cage door, as if asking Harry politely to open it and let him out.

"A good choice you have made there."

Harry turned to see one of the workers, an elderly dark skinned gentleman, smile at him.

"Me or the owl, sir?" Harry asked.

The man smiled a bit wider. "Both." He nodded to the bird. "That one of my favorites. Barred owl, very beautiful bird. This ones from good lines, very smart, fast flyer."

"How much is he?"

"She. And well... I heard about your owl, Mr. Potter. Right Sorry I am for that. No owl should be taken from their owner like that... I remember her well... Hagrid came in and asked for a good bird for your 11th birthday. I recomended several and he chose your Hedwig. I had her mother for a number of years, laid the best cluches of eggs out of any Snowy Owl I ever had, smartest chicks anywheres..."

He stared at the bird for a minute.

"Tell you what Mr. Potter... You pay for the cage, get her some treats and such and I'll let you have the bird, free of charge, in conpensation and in memory of the one you lost."

Harry stared at the man, slightly startled and wide eyed. "I can't let you do that. I -"

"Please, Mr. Potter. Honor you owl, and me, by accepting this one. There no replacing the first owl you ever get, but she'll help ease the hurt. You've done so much for all of us, let me do something for you."

Hary nodded, not trusting his voice. He was close to tears as he looked back at the beautiful barred owl staring at him. She hooted softly through the bars at him.

"Thank you," Harry said quietly.

"Of course, my boy." The elderly man replied, tears rising in his own eyes as he watched Harry. "Of course."

The train station was just as packed as every other year. Ron, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Luna struggled through the crowd as they made for the train. They had just left Mrs. Weasly, who had attempted to smuther them all with very tight hugs and tears in her eyes. Even though she had only met Neville once before, and did not particularly like Luna's father, she had hugged them all the same. She had also told them that Ginny had already boarded the train to save them a compartment.

Ron and Hermione reported to the Prefects compartment with the promise of stopping in as soon as they could. They didn't have to search long before they found Ginny in an empty compartment. They stowed their belongings up above them in the racks and settled down in the seats. The only problem Harry wanted to prevent was Ginny sitting next to him, but she had mercifully settled next to Luna, leaving him to sit with Neville. Trevor croaked mournfully at him.

Sol fluttered her wings a bit, which rilled Pig up. Harry's owl swivaled her head and glared disaprovingly at the smaller owl. She fluffed up her feather while he began to bounce around his cage. Danna hooted loudly next to them. Hermione scooped her owl out of it's cage and patted her gently. She crooned to the barn owl, who vocolized back. Harry caught Ron rolling his eyes at his girlfriend's behaviour. She had acted the same when she had gotten Crookshanks. Pig only settled after Ron had stuck an owl treat in his cage.

They exchanged summer plesentries and Harry couldn't help noticing the look that Ginny kept shooting him, as if it was years past and she was trying to sort him out all over again. Luna didn't seem to notice, talking to Ginny about Nama Burrels and Winky Spunks, which Harry took to be some sort of pixey, and Fuzzled Backwingers. Ginny however didn't raise any subjects Harry had been avoiding and he was perfectly willing to let it slide, but he knew that sooner or later the moment would come.

It was nearly an hour later that Ron and Hermione showed up. Ron was scowling and Hemione's eyes were slightly wide.

"You'll never guess how many Slytherins in our year have come back." She whispered as she closed the door behind them.

"One," Neville asked, hope etched on his face.

"No, . Parkinson, Zabini, Bulstrode, Greengrass, Nott , and Malfoy. Nearly half of them in our year! I had thought maybe one or two would actually come and the rest would back down and refuse at the last minute, but it's amazing that so many came reguardless."

She grinned at them, as if expecting them all to be happy that most of the children of the Death Eaters had returned to Hogworts with them for their last year. Neville looked as though he had swallowed something very nasty.

"They let Parkinson and Malfoy come back?" He asked, barely managing to get the words out of his mouth. Ron, sharing his mood and perhaps his thought process, nodded grimly.

"Yeah. Can't believe they let the sodding little ferret back, after he nearly got a bunch of people killed in sixth year. Can't beileve they let all those Slytherins in either. Nearly all of them have a parent that was either killed or put in Azkaban after the Battle. Do they honestly think that other students are going to put up with them? Parkinson herself told everyone to hand you over to the Voldermort." He directed the last bit at Harry. "I mean come on, how many times has - oww!"

Hermione smacked him hard on the arm, cutting his speach short.

"No one will, unless they see us doing it first. Everyone in the school is going to be looking to us to figure out how to act this year, especially towards Slytherins. Don't you think that prejudice between houses had gone on long enough. I'm not suggesting that we hold 'Hug a Slytherin Day' or anything, but if we're polite, even to those whose families were on the other side, perhaps others will be as well."

Hermione was still glaring at Ron as she continued.

" And you have to realize, not everyone chose to join Voldermort because they wanted to. Lot's of people were bullied into it, like Malfoy, who's father was a Death Eater when Volermort first came to power. When he returned, it wasn't like the Malfoy family had much choice, now did they. He would have killed them outright. Several others are the same, bow to their master in his return, or die."

Ron made another face at the mention of Malfoy. Harry, however, was careful to keep his face nuteral as Hermione looked around at each one of them. Neville still looked unsure, while Ginny was scowling. Luna, as ever, was still reading the Quibbler. Every now and then she glanced up at Hermione, then went back to reading. So it quite started Harry when she was the one who finally responded to his friend's speech.

"Daddy says several others were forced to give gold in support of Voldermort as well. Madame Zabini and Madame Greengrass were forced to, just like Daddy was after they had taken me to the Manor. But Daphne and Blaise could have had a worse fate if their mothers had not pledged their support. The most they could have done was kill me, but Daphne and Blaise would have been forced to accept Dark Marks and join the Death Eaters."

Luna paused for a moment, staring strait at Harry, as if reading his thoughts, which were still lingering on the subject of Draco Malfoy and the fact that he had been so teriffied, so utterly teriffied, on the Tower that night. He blinked and she looked to Neville next to him instead.

"Just like he did to Draco. Daddy also says that Mr. Malfoy was a mess, competely deranged when he came the first time to our house, to tell Daddy I was taken and that he was to stop printed what he wanted in the Quibbler. I heard him from the cell I was in too. Yelling and crying all the time, except when Volermort was there of course. But the rest of the time..."

She trailed off and looked back down at the Quibbler. There was silence around the compartment for several minutes before she glanced back up.

"Daddy thinks that we should print the truth of those who were forced to help Voldermort. He says it's better to understand everything now, instead of just assuming that they were all bad, all the time. People make mistakes."

She reached out and handed her copy of the magazine to Harry, who took it silently. Everyone's eyes were on him as he scanned through every pages, and then handed it to Neville after a few minutes. He turned and stared out the window, watching the landscape roll by. And for once the gree rolling hill and the bright blue sky that was the fimilar route to Hogworts did little to comfort him.

Sorting continued as always, and the tables cheered for each of their new house mates. Harry however could not bring himself to do anything more than manage slightly forced and somewhat painful smiles. He took a deep breath, trying to clear out his system. Guilt more than anything was riding through him in waves. He meet Hermione's eyes for a moment, releaved that he saw understanding in them.

This room, this school, held so many memories. Memories of laughter and of blood.

He had to force himself to walk in at a normal pace and find a seat, because when he entered the Great Hall mempry and time shifted. Dark windows and bright candles brought back the final night of the battle in full. He had wavered for a moment, before crossing into the room, chasing out the shadows from his mind as best he could. He knew they would always be there, that he would always see the dead and the wounded, the hopelessness and pain when he was in this room, but for the moment, he refused to dwell on the fact.

As Headmistress McGonagall stood, the voices in the Great Hall settled to whispers and then to silence. She looked sternly out over the students.

"Welcome students, those both old and new. Now that the sorting is finished, I have a few short announcements to make before the feast begins. Firstly, all students who are hear for their repeat year shall stay after so I can escort them to their new lodgings. All students not in the group mentioned are banned from entering the eighth year quarters, reguardless of the reason.

'Secondly, though Voldermort was defeated there are several Death Eaters still at large. For this reason you will be asked to remain in the castle after 8 pm. The magical barrier around Hogworts has been repaired and improved, but we are not willing to rick any chances as there are still rogue Death Eaters on the loose."

Her eyes lingered on Harry and his friends for a moment before she continued.

"Their will still be Hogsmead Weekends for those third year and higher, although you will notice when you arrive in the village, there will be Aurors on duty. Once again, this is for your safety and I ask that you do not stray from the borders of Hogsmead.

'There is of course, a list of banned objects from . You may read them in his office, or ask one of your Prefects. The Forbbiden Forest is, as always, off limits to students unless escorted by a teacher for class. You are no longer requaried to sit solely at your House table and may move as freely as you like between tables. There is no magic allowed in the corridors, which includes dueling. There will be a Quittich sign up sheet in your common room, as well as sign up sheets for other activites, such as Charms, Chess, and Gobblestones."

She glanced around the room, and then up at the ceiling.

"There is also," she informed them dryly. "a new program which is madaotry for every student once a month. Arts class, in which you will participate, reguardless of whether you want to or not. The Ministry wished for us to send you all to therapy, as we have been through a rough several years and you have all been affected in one way or another. Instead or forcing you to speak to strangers about what has stayed with you during our dark times, you will be able to express yourself without abudiable words. There will be an several assignments posted to your board at the begining of each month. You will choose one and turn it in directly to the Head of your house. You will not be forced to share them with others. You may of course speak with us at any time if you so wish and we shall do our best to help you in what ways you need.

'It is hoped that in doing this, you will reconize what caused you the most pain and hurt, and what you need to move past in order to heal."

Nearly everyone jumped when she clapped her hands.

"With all of the annoucements done, let us eat."

Harry sighed and turned to begin to pile food on his plate, when he caught sight of Hermione's expression. Alarmed, he nudged her foot under the table.

"Mione, you alright?"

She blinked owlishly at him and then leaned foreword. Ron, Ginny, and Neville did the same, all with a questioning look on their faces.

"Did you hear what she said?"

"Uh, yeah. Hermione everyone heard what she said. You mean about the Arts thing? Lets face it, it could be much worse. We could have been forced to sit in a circle and share you 'feelings' with one another," Ron said, smiling a bit.

"No, not about that, although it is intresting. I meant about the part where we no longer are required to sit at our house table. I hadn't though before it was so much required as it was expected. But the fact that she mentioned it, plus the song the Sorting Hat gave us this year... Inter-House Relations will be the goal this year. Like I said on the train, everyone will be looking to us for that. McGonagall is counting on us to set a good example. In a way, banning others from our common room is a begining for that. If we can't have others in, we'll either have to go out, or make do with the people in it."

She wore a slightly determined express that Harry knew from the past wasn't a good sign. He was reminded of S.P.E.W. and in the end, she had been corrected about that as well. If they didn't improve, however slightly, with their attidutes towards the Slytherin, she would get on them about it. Most likely, Harry thought, she would try to do so herself and drag them along, forcing their hands in the matter until they gave in. Harry knew he wouldn't provide much resistance as he would have in the past, but he knew those like Ron, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Lavander, and others would.

No one said much else. Hermione watched from the corner of her eyes as Harry put very little on his plate. His thoughts once again had turned to Malfoy, and the guilt at knowing how terrifed the other had been during the last several years, and he felt slightly sick now knowing that the taunts he had endured were in truth cries for help. From the begining, they had been cries for help. But Harry hadn't understood that then.

He set his fork down and peered over at the Slytherin table. Even their own had segregated them. Zabini, Greengrass, Parkingson, Nott, Bulstrode, and Malfoy were all at the far end, picking at their food. Malfoy had given up the pretense of even trying to eat and had his head in his arms, trying to ignore Zabini and Parkinson, who kept poking at him every now and then, trying to get food into him.

Harry turned his gaze back to his own table. Hermione was still watching him, but she had turned her head to watch him full out instead of pretending she wasn't. He nodded to her and a small smile lit up her face.

One was Gryffindors convinced, the rest of the table, however, they both knew would take more work.

"All of you, over here," the Headmistress called after the rest of the students were desmissed.

"Your domitories will be on the thrid floor, at the end of the corridor, behind the portrait of the Lady Morgana. I'll take you their this time and assing you your rooms. After that you will be left to your own devices. You will have no head of house, seeing as you all from all four houses and you are all capable adults." Her eyes flitted between Harry and Malfoy for a moment. "However, if there is anything you need, you may come and get me, or Professer Sinistra, as she is Deputy Headmistress now."

She strode past them towards the doors. After a moment, they all followed. She led them to the third floor and down the main corridor. The she turned left and marched to the end of the hall and stoped in front of a portrait of a very beautiful witch with long flowing black hair. On her shoulder was a raven, and twining around her feet, a serpant. A Gryffin and a badger sat on either side of her. She smiled down at them, a warmth emitting from her eyes.

"Password for now is "Unity". Lady Morgana will inform you when the password changes. There is a portirat on the other side of the door as well, so that she may inform you when you have someone who would like to visit you. However, I must remind you that there are to be no one else but yourselves and staff aloud into your dorms or common room."

Morgana swung open and revealed a brightly lit passage leading inward. They crossed the threshold and followed McGonagall into their new common room. It was just as large as the regular common rooms in their own houses, despite having far less people. There was push funiture and a warm fire in the hearth, blazing merrily in welcome. There was also a stair winding up each side of the room with a ten foot gap in the middle, seperating the boys rooms from the girls.

"Ladies first," McGonagall said and began to climb the stairs. She the began to pair off girls with rooms. Most of them were Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws together. Lavender was placed with a Ravenclaw, while Greengrass as put with a Hufflepuff, Bulstrode with Patarvi. At the last room, even though it wasn't necessary, the Headmistress read off Hermione's name, pairing her with Pansy Parkinson. The Slytherin girl balked at entering the room first. Hermione smiled gently at her and opened the door.

Mcgonagall turned and headed back towards the boys. She lead them up the stairs without a words until they approched the first door. By this time nearly all of the girls had reopened their doors and stepped out to see who was placed together. McGonagall tapped on the door.

"Finnigan, Smith."

She moved on.

They approched the third to last door, Harry's stomach cletching painfully. He knew without a doubt who she had paired him with. If he was honest with himself, he knew from the moment he read the letter this was going to happen.

"Longbottom, Zabini."

He watch Neville's face pale even more and stepped forward to the next door with the remainder of thier small group.

"Weasly, Nott."

Harry closed his eyes as she rapped on the last door.

"Potter, Malfoy."

Malfoy entered the room without a word and disappeared. McGonagall paused for a moment, her eye reguarding Harry sternly.

"Please do not kill each other, Potter."

"Yes Professer," he replied queitly before he too entered the room.

Both side of the room were a mirror to the other. Beds were against the wall, a small table next to them desk were at the opposite sides, along the same wall as the door. Between the desks and the beds there was a small dresser with four drawers and a smooth top. Next to the small tables there was a window with a deep ledge padded with cusions.

They peered out into the night air above the part of the grounds overlooking the Black Lake. Stars twinkled in the deep velvet sky, even brighter thank usual due to the absence of the moon. A door was placed inbetween them, and even though there seemed to be no sign of the room from the windows, Harry hazarded a guess that it was a bathroom. His trunk was in the middle of the room, ten foot from each bed, which he noticed were bigger than the ones he had perviously slept in for the past six years.

His eyes swept back over the room, landing on Malfoy. Harry had failed to see him the first round, most likely because of the fact that the other was curled in the middle of the bed, unmoving. He grabbed his trunk and drug it over to the other bed, leaving Malfoy's alone in the middle of the room.

He glanced out the window again before heading to the door. He paused and looked back at Malfoy. He still lay unmoving in the middle of the bed.

"I'm going downstairs for a bit," Harry said quietly.

The other boy gave no sign that he heard. With a sigh, Harry opened the door, and shut it gently behind him before heading to the stairs. Below him, most of the other students were already sitting and chattering away to one another. He noted all the other Slytherins save Parkinson were gathered in one corner, talking quietly among themselves. Then he spotted Ron, Neville and Hermione on the far side. Neville was in a comortable looking armchair while Ron and Hermione sat close together on a small couch.

He gave them a smile as he approched, which faded as he saw the angry scowl on Ron's face. Neville looked slightly confused and glanced over at Zabini every now and then. Hermione looked thoughtfully at him as he sat down.

"Malfoy's not coming out?" she asked. He shook his head. "Parkinson refused to as well. I tried to convince to at least come and sit with the other Slytherins, but she... Well she refused. She resorted to locking herself in the bathroom so I'd leave her alone."

"Good." Ron said grumpily.

"She fightened, I think. She's scared because of last year. What she said she said out of fear for her family and her friends."

"I doubt it."

"Malfoy's curled up on the bed. I don't think he moved an inch while I was in there," Harry told her, ignoring Ron for the moment.

"And you, Neville? "She asked, making him jump.

"What?"

"Did you and Zabini get along alright?"

He glanced back to Zabini before nodding.

"Yeah, alright, I guess. He didn't try anything. Just asked me which bed I wanted."

"Doesn't really matter, the beds are the same," Ron growled as he directed his scowl at Theodore Nott, who sat with he back to Ron.

Harry raised his eyebrows and looked inquiring at Hermione. She shook her head, and then covered her mouth as she yawned.

"I'm so tired. I was up too early this morning and was too excited to sleep much last night."

She leaned over and kissed Ron on the cheek.

"I off to bed. I hope Parkinson's out of the bathroom by now. I'd like to brush my teeth. I know a spell, but it makes my teeth tingle"

She waved at Harry and Neville and then made her way over to the stairs on the girls side.

Both Harry and Neville did the same after another ten minutes. They had caught up on the rest of their summer that they hadn't talked about at Grimmauld Place or on the Express. But in the end, when they repeatedly failed at trying to get Ron to talk with them, they retreated to their rooms, leaving him on the couch, still scowling at the back of Nott's head.

"Hermione told me he's threatened to sleep in the common room. Do you think he'll really do it?" Neville asked as they walked down the hall to their rooms.

"Don't know. I suppose we'll find out in the morning."

Neville nodded and muttered goodnight to Harry before opening his door. Harry paused for a moment ouside his own. He glance back down into the common room, surprised to see that he had some watchers. The small group of Slytherins all had thrir eyes on him. Blaise Zabini, who had always been cold to, well, to everyone, gave him a small twitch of a smile. Harry blinked slowly and turned back around. He listened for a moment and upon hearing nothing, he opened the door and entered the room. As he turned to close the door, he caugh a very amused look on Zabini's face.

He shut the door quietly glanced at Malfoy.

Malfoy still hadn't moved. Harry stared at him for a moment, taking in the figure in silence. He wasn't sure if the blond had moved in the time he had been gone, but from what he remembered it didn't appear so.

He got around for bed, grabbing his pajamas from his trunk and heading into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and was attempting to brush his hair but as always, it stuck up ever which way.

He put the brush down and left the bathroom. Climbing into his bed, he glanced once more at the blond curled in the bed, twenty feet away from him. Harry turned out the lights on his side and turned to he could see the other boy. He placed his glasses on the bedside table and tucked his wand under his pillow.

You would think,' he thought, yawning, 'that I should have the sense to be worried sleeping in the same room as Malfoy, instead of worrying about Malfoy...'

_That's because you know now. You know he's not the boy that he was years ago. You know he doesn't really hate you, because he didn't turn you over to them. And you don't hate him either. You went back for him in the fire. _

Harry told the voice in his head to shut up, and that he didn't need retold what he already knew. He had been thinking about it the whole day after all. With the voice silent, tiredness overtook him and his eyes began to close.

No ne wasn't worried about what Malfoy would do if he slept. They were past that now. The only worries he had that night were for the blond on the other side of the room, who even in semi-darkness wasn't moving an inch.

Just before he difted off to sleep, Harry swore that he heard a light whisper from Malfoys side of the room.

"I hate you, Potter. I fucking hate you."

He blinked heavily, not sure if it had been in his head or not. But all sleep fled from him as he registered the slightest of sobs from the opposite bed. He knew Malfoy didn't really hate him, but he knew from experience that sometimes it was easier to blame someone else for your pain than face it.

He lay there for most of the night, unable to close his eyes or excape both the emptiness and empathy whelling in him as he listened to the soft sobs and barely audible hitched breaths.

A/n : I think, as far as beginings go, this one isn't horrible. I know there are still errors, I'm positive there are. If you spot any that bother you, please let me know. As a reminder, if anyone is willing to beta for me, please, please, please PM me. My grammer is atrocious and I know it. And so do the people who read any of my unbeta'd stories. lol. I would love to hear any and all thoughts, questions, randomness, comments, and opinions that you lovely readers have. Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this story. I hope that you have enjoyed the first chapter and are looking forward to the next one. See you next month. :D

Love and Kisses,

beautiful lies


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